It peaked with Arnold because he was the genetically perfect bodybuilder because of his height. Bodybuilding is genetics and hard work. The rest is just a really good drug guru. So in whatever generation, Arnold with basically perfect genetics is going to TOWER over any era's top champion, from Phil to Dorian to Jay to Ronnie. And other than maybe Ronnie, Arnold had better muscle genetics than the other Olympians I mentioned except maybe Phil. He probably had similar genetics to Haney. However, then he get's the bonus point of being half a foot taller but with the same genetics.
Other guys from Ferigno to Kovacs to Dillett were by FAR the biggest guys onstage but the height fucked them in the illusion because it didn't fill out the frame like the shorter guys. But Arnold just had muscle genetics and round muscle bellies of the short guys at 6'2. It's like if a 7 foot 5 guy in the NBA had the same quickness and coordination as the fastest small point guard in the league and the hops of Michael Jordan. The guy would be un fuckin guardable. And the rest is just drugs and whatever the judges in that era are looking for but Arnold would dominate in any era because of the height/muscle genetics combo. And the legs were the look judges wanted back then. Thinner legs were rewarded by judges as aesthetics meant something different back then. Ramy would be considered way too bottom heavy back then but judging changes. Arnold could have adapted to whatever the judges wanted. Look at the actual muscle bellies and sweep on Arnolds legs and he could have put much more size on them genetically. Thinner legs than today was an aesthetic ideal back then and probably cost Tom Platz some much higher placings/wins back in the day like the 81 Olympia.
The rest is just drugs and training and while Arnold comes across as this funny, likeable guy, the guys that knew and trained with him said he was a "do what it takes to win" kind of guy and trained very hard, was very serious to the point of playing mental games on his competitors, so when you take work ethic and discipline into account, Arnold probably had as much or more than any other Mr. O except maybe Ronnie. It's not getting better after Ronnie. It's getting worse. So the ultimate in bodybuilding would be Arnold vs Ronnie in their prime. It's gonna be Arnold because Ronnie is lucky to be 5'10 so Arnold gets this extra advantage, this height illusion. Imagine what Hany Rambod or Chad Nichols could do with 6'2 of perfect genetics to work with? They already are trying to find new places on these 5'6 frames to try and add muscle. It looks like shit. The only place to go further than Ronnie is to go up. Extra half foot of height to add muscle. So, the ultimate in bodybuilding is Arnold Schwarzenegger given the mix of genetics, work ethic, and drugs. And I say drugs because Arnold was so connected, that if he was that connected today he would have pharma GH personally mailed to him by President Trump. Hey the truth hurts but you have to add who would have the most/best access to drugs? Arnold by far. Look at how perfect those calves looked after the implants and that was the 70s so he had access to medical grade, high quality shit. So Arnold was and is the ultimate in bodybuilding taking everything into account. He would win against any other Mr. O if he had come along in their era the way he did.
